Falcons face $20M+ Michael Penix Jr. contract question that should be a no-brainer

The Atlanta Falcons are heading into the 2026 NFL season without a starting quarterback officially named. Tua Tagovailoa didn't do much to convince the Falcons to name him the starter, and Michael Penix Jr. is coming off a serious injury.

While the 2026 starter for Week 1 is a bit of an uncertainty, the Falcons should have an answer for the $20 million-plus question they're facing with Penix.

ESPN's Bill Barnwell highlighted the fifth-year option question the Falcons have to answer with Penix, and while there are some question marks about the lefty, this contract decision should be a no-brainer for the Falcons.

Falcons' $20M+ Michael Penix Jr. question should have a clear 'yes' answer

"Each of the six players would be looking at significant guaranteed money -- potentially north of $20 million -- hitting their contracts in 2028 if the fifth-year option decisions go their way," Barnwell writes.

For Penix, one of the 2024 first-round picks whose fifth-year option has yet to be decided upon, there are some real questions about his durability and on-field play.

As Barnwell writes, "Penix posted a 57.9 Total QBR in his nine games as a starter in 2025, although the quarterback's year ended with the third torn ACL of his career."

It's a completely understandable line of thinking for the Falcons if they are worried about his future in the NFL and decide not to pick up the fifth-year option.

However, if Penix returns to play in 2026 and shows even a semblance of being a decent quarterback, it should be a no-brainer for Atlanta to pick up this $ 20M-plus option.

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Sure, he wasn't overly impressive the last few seasons, but considering how expensive contracts for quarterbacks can get, with starters earning $40 to $50 million, getting Penix at around $20 million or so would be well worth it.

Even if he doesn't play well, having him on that fifth-year option, it gives the Falcons one more season to see if he's truly capable of being the starter long-term or not.

In the worst-case scenario, he's an expensive backup that they could potentially find a trade partner for, or that they have to carry on the roster as dead weight for a year.

This is not a multi-year mistake waiting to happen. It's a one-year flyer on the most important position in sports. He's not shown a lot of things to be optimistic about, but keeping him for one more season is much better than letting him walk a year early.

This isn't a J.J. McCarthy situation, where the cat's out of the bag, and the team knows the player isn't good. There is still some potential with Penix, and he's someone they should keep on the fifth-year option.

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